Thank You Kate
by DisneyCastleFriends18
Summary: Kate spends the night at the loft after Alexis and Castle return home from Paris after Alexis' kidnapping. 5x16
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I apologize for it being a while since I last published something. I have a list of several story ideas, but I was just having a hard time putting it down onto paper, then I got sick. But, I'm back. This is my 9th Castle FanFiction story and my second multi-chapter. I have not finished writing my first multi-chapter story. I didn't like the way it was going.**

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle. Castle will always belong to Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC.

" **Thank You Kate"**

Martha and Beckett wait patiently and anxiously in the living room of the loft for the return of Castle and Alexis. Castle and Alexis were returning home from Paris after Alexis' kidnapping. Martha and Beckett were having a conversation when they heard a noise coming from the front door. As the door starts to open both Martha and Beckett practically jump out of their seats in anticipation to see whoever was at the door. When they saw Alexis emerge through the door they were both relieved and excited to see Alexis home and safe. As Alexis walks over to greet her grandmother, Beckett nearly knocks Castle over when she runs over to him to give him the biggest hug she has ever given him. With the impact, Castle had dropped his bag down onto the floor.

While hugging Castle, Beckett goes up onto her toes to whisper into Castle's ear. "Don't ever do anything like that again without me, ok?"

Castle tightens his embrace with Beckett to give her reassurance and whispers back in her ear. "I won't."

Beckett releases the hug she had on Castle to move her hands onto his cheeks and gives him a smile. Beckett turns away from Castle so she can greet Alexis and give her a nice warm hug. "Welcome home."

"Thanks Kate," Alexis replies as she gives Beckett a smile. Alexis looks between Martha, Beckett, and her dad and lets out a sigh of relief. She's home, she's alive, and she's safe. She had been on quite a journey and decides on heading to her room to lie down for a little while. "I'm going to go lie down and rest for a little bit before dinner, if that's ok."

Castle looks at his daughter with nothing but love in his eyes. "Of course, pumpkin. Take your time. Do whatever you need to do." He kisses her temple and watches her walk up the stairs toward her bedroom. Once Alexis disappears down the hall, Castle picks up his bag and heads toward his bedroom without saying a word.

Martha and Beckett look at each other with concern. They both turn to look back in the direction of Castle's bedroom. Beckett is the first one to speak. "What do we do Martha?"

Martha takes a breath and slowly exhales. "Just give him a little more time darling. Let him decompress from everything that's happened."

"I can't imagine how he must be feeling right now. I can't even imagine what he went through either. I feel like one of us should be there with him."

"I understand darling. Just imagine what Alexis went through and how she must be feeling."

"I know Alexis said she wanted to rest, but she probably needs someone right now."

"You're probably right darling." Martha lets out a breath. "You go check on Richard and I'll go up and check on Alexis."

Beckett nods in agreement and walks toward Castle's bedroom. When Beckett walks into the bedroom she sees Castle sitting on the edge of his bed with his head down. She looks over to the bag sitting next to him and sees that it's open, but nothing has been taken out of it. She slowly walks over to him trying not to startle him. "Castle?" she asks quietly.

Castle doesn't move. Once Beckett has reached him he slowly looks up to make eye contact with her. When he finally makes eye contact with her, she can see that tears have formed in his gorgeous blue eyes. When he tries to speak all he can get out is a whisper, "Kate." He looks away from her and puts his head down again.

Beckett could see that Castle was hurting a little. She wasn't sure if it was because he was scared or if he was relieved, or a little bit of both. She kneels down beside him and puts her hands on his knees. She speaks to him in a whisper doing her best to try and sooth him. "Hey, Castle. It's ok. She's ok." All Castle could do was nod as tears ran down his cheeks. Beckett rubs one of her hands over his knee to comfort him and to let him know that she's there.

Castle shakes his head in disbelief. "I almost lost her Kate. I was so close to losing my little girl."

Beckett stands up to step between Castle's legs so she can sit on one of his knees so she's closer to him. She grabs his face in her hands and uses her thumbs to wipe away the tears from his cheeks. "Sh, Castle. It's ok. You didn't lose her. She's home and she's safe. If it feels like a dream, go see for yourself that she's ok. Maybe you need to be close to her. She's right upstairs."

Castle shakes his head that's still in Beckett's hands. "I can't. Not yet."

Beckett moves one of her arms around the back of his neck while her other hand is placed over his chest. She looks at him with love and concern in her eyes. "Do you need to talk about it? Do you WANT to talk about it? If you're not ready, I understand. But, I'm right here whenever you're ready."

Castle takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. "It exploded."

"What exploded?" Kate is rubbing her hand on Castle's back.

"The building that Alexis was being held captive in." Castle needed a moment to get it together before he continued. "It was like she was being held captive like an animal. She was held in a cage." Castle takes another deep breath. "I managed to get her out of the cage and out of the building before it exploded."

Beckett herself now had tears in her eyes. "You were in that building?"

Castle nods. "How else was I supposed to save my daughter, my only child?"

"Castle, what if you couldn't have gotten her out? What if it would have taken you too long for the both of you to escape?" Beckett has to take a breath to get her emotions under control. "Martha would have lost the only family she has left. She would have lost her granddaughter AND her son. Her own flesh and blood. How can someone live after that? And what about me Castle? I can't bear to lose another person I love."

"I don't know. I was in the moment. I was focused on…" He pauses. The last thing Beckett said had reached his ears. His eyes go wide. Had he heard her correctly? "Wait. What?"

"I know what it's like to lose family. I went down a dark rabbit hole and barely made it out. If Martha had lost the two of you, I don't think she would have been able to survive."

Castle shakes his head. "No. Did you just say something about someone you love?"

Beckett's eyes go wide in realization on what she had said. Had she really said it out loud? She was so wrapped up in the moment. This was not the way she wanted to tell him that she loves him. There's no turning back now. Beckett takes a breath to compose herself. "I love you, Castle." That brings one of the biggest smiles to his face. She finally told him how she really feels.

"I love you too, Kate." Castle gives Beckett a passionate kiss on the lips. Beckett reciprocates the kiss wrapping both of her arms around Castle's neck to try and pull him closer to her.

They break away from the kiss. "It's all going to be ok, Castle. Should I help unpack?" she asks as she refers to the bag sitting next to him.

"No. That can wait until later." He goes in for another kiss and Beckett follows.

They're still kissing when they hear footsteps come into the bedroom. "Richard?" Beckett and Castle break away from each other, as if they were teenagers who were caught making out. "Oh, sorry to interrupt."

"What can I do for you mother?" he asks, hoping to get his mother out of the room quickly.

"Oh, nothing darling. Just wondering what you would like to have for dinner."

"Oh, I really haven't thought about it. I had a long flight and a tiring journey. I don't feel like cooking."

"Who says you had to cook darling? I can cook something, if you'd like."

Castle gets a panicked look in his eye. Beckett can feel Castle tense up and looks at him. "Castle, why don't we order in for dinner tonight? That way, none of us would have to cook. We can spend some time together."

Castle looks at Beckett and smiles. "Sounds great Beckett. Good idea. I'll order pizza. Just something simple. I can order from Alexis' favorite pizza place. She's been through a lot and I'd like to do this for her."

Martha replies, "alright, darling. You are a good father." Martha turns around to walk out the door.

Castle takes his phone out to place the pizza order. Once he has finished ordering he puts his phone away. He reaches next to him to grab his bag that has been sitting on the bed. He places the bag down on the floor next to the bed and wraps one hand around Beckett's waist and the other to wrap around her shoulders. Beckett has been sitting on Castle's knee the whole time. Castle leans back to lie on the bed and he pulls Beckett down with him. He just wants to hold Beckett close. Although, he thinks he should be keeping Alexis close. But, he wants to spend time with Beckett. They lay there in silence just enjoying being with each other. They had been laying there for a while. They had no idea how much time had passed. They were just enjoying being with each other, even in silence. Castle is just about to doze off when there is a knock at the door.

Martha is the one to answer the door. Martha calls out to him. "Richard! Pizza is here."

Both Castle and Beckett sit up to get off the bed. Castle finds his wallet so he can pay for the pizza. After finding his wallet he walks out of the bedroom toward the front door. Castle hands the money to the pizza delivery boy, "here you go. Thank you." Castle takes the pizza boxes from the delivery boy and closes the door. He turns to walk toward the dining room table, "Alexis! Dinner!" He sets the pizzas down on the table, while Martha grabs plates from the cabinet.

Beckett goes to the fridge in search of something to drink. She finds a few bottles of beer and grabs one for herself. She turns to look at Castle, "want a beer, Castle?"

"Sure. Thank you."

Martha, Castle, and Beckett sit down at the table ready to eat. Alexis hasn't come down yet. Where could she be? Is she asleep? "Where's Alexis?" Martha asks. All Castle could do was shrug his shoulders with a slight panic in his eyes. He didn't know where his daughter was. All he knew was that she had gone up to lie down and rest for a while after they came home. Martha stands up from the table, "I'll go check on her and tell her that pizza is here."

"Thank you, mother."

"Of course, darling." Martha heads up the stairs in search of Alexis.

While Martha went to check on Alexis, Castle and Beckett dig into the pizza as if they hadn't eaten in days. The two of them are eating in silence when Beckett looks over at Castle. She can see that there is worry in his eyes. She doesn't say anything. She just reaches over to grab hold of Castle's hand. Castle looks over at her and gives a weak smile. "Thank you."

"Always."

They hear Martha coming back down the stairs. "Alexis is asleep. I left her a note on her bedside table. When she's hungry she can come down and eat."

Castle looks at Martha, "thank you mother."

When the three of them have finished eating they start to clean up. Beckett can tell that Castle is exhausted. "Castle, go get yourself ready for bed. Martha and I can finish up here. Try to get some rest. You've had a rough few days."

Castle looks between Beckett and Martha to make sure that it was all right. Martha just gives Castle a nod. Castle walks up to Beckett to give her a kiss. "Ok, thank you. Both of you."

Martha replies first, "of course darling. Now get some rest."

"Always. Get ready for bed and I'll check on you when we're done here," Kate answers and gives Castle a kiss on the cheek.

Castle gives Beckett a nod in understanding and another kiss before he walks away. Martha and Beckett finish cleaning up everything from dinner when Martha decides she is going to head up to her room. "Well, I'm going to go up to my room. Have a good night Katherine."

"Good night, Martha." Once Martha has headed up the stairs, Beckett is left alone. She turns the lights off in the kitchen and heads to Castle's room. When Beckett walks into the room, Castle is just getting himself settled into bed. "Hey, everything is cleaned up in the kitchen and dining room. The lights have been turned off and your mom went upstairs to her room."

"Thanks, Kate."

"Always." She walks up to his side of the bed and gives him a kiss good night. "Try to get some rest. I'll come by tomorrow morning before I head to the precinct."

"What?" Castle is confused.

"I'm going home to leave you to get some rest."

Beckett starts to walk off toward the front door so she can head home to her own apartment to get some rest herself, but Castle stops her. "Kate?" He hesitates for a moment, almost afraid to ask what he's about to ask. "Will you... will you stay here tonight?"

"I don't have a change of clothes."

"You have some clothes here that you left. They're in my closet and they're clean." He can see that Beckett is thinking about what to do. "Please, Beckett? I don't think my mother will be able to handle both me and Alexis if we end up having nightmares."

Beckett can see that he is afraid that he will end up having nightmares about what had happened the last few days. She really didn't want to go home anyways, but wanted to give him a little bit of space. "Ok, let me go get changed." She heads into his closet to grab one of his t-shirts to sleep in and heads to the bathroom to change and brush her teeth. When she walks out of the bathroom, she sees Castle is a little restless. He can't seem to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. She walks over to the bed and climbs in on her side and scoots closer to Castle. Castle reaches for her hand so he has something comforting to hold on to. "Sh, babe, it's going to be ok. I'm right here."

Castle didn't think much of anything about the pet name Beckett had just called him for the first time. It just flowed right off of her tongue, like it was natural. Beckett can feel how tense Castle is just laying next to her. She opts to let go of his hand and do something she never thought she would ever do, with anybody. Castle whimpers a little when Beckett releases his hand, but he settles when she reaches her left arm behind his head to pull him closer to her. She has her left hand on his shoulder with her arm behind is head and takes her right hand and brings his head onto her chest.

Castle figures out what Beckett is trying to do and easily curls into Beckett as if he was a scared little boy. With his head on her chest, she runs her fingers through his hair until he has fallen asleep. Once he has fallen asleep, she kisses his head. "Good night, babe. I love you." It doesn't take her very long to fall asleep while holding Castle's head against her chest.

 **To be Continued**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews. It is certainly a confidence booster. It's also a great inspiration. Thank you. I had actually finished writing this story before I published the first chapter. It was only 2 chapters, but after your nice reviews I was inspired to do some tweaking with this chapter and thinking of doing at least one more chapter after this. Stay tuned.**

 _ **Chapter 2**_

Castle was sound asleep against Beckett's chest. Beckett is a light sleeper and her eyes popped open when she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. Beckett knew it was the middle of the night, but had no clue as to what time it was. She opted not to look at the time, but decided to see who was out in the kitchen. She carefully slides out from under Castle's head, trying not to wake him.

Beckett walks out toward the kitchen and sees a redhead standing there making some tea. Beckett whispers, "hey Alexis." Alexis is startled and nearly drops her mug when she heard the sound of a voice. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Alexis gives Beckett a small smile as if to say 'it's ok'. "What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Martha said you were asleep when she went to check on you during dinner."

"Yeah, I was asleep then, but it didn't last very long. I haven't been able to sleep since I woke up."

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"I suppose you can call it that, yeah. It felt more like I was reliving it. Like I was still there."

Beckett takes a breath and nods her head. "I understand that feeling." Beckett had to pause to think about what she was going to say next. "I'm not saying that I know exactly what you must be feeling or what you've been through. But, I can relate to the nightmares."

Alexis realizes that Beckett must be talking about her nightmares after she was shot. "Kate?"

"Yes?"

"Do you still have nightmares about your shooting?" Alexis is nervous talking about this with Beckett.

"No. The nightmares that I had after I was shot are gone now. It took some time, but I'm ok now."

The kettle whistles signifying that the water is ready. Alexis pours the hot water into her mug. She turns to look at Beckett. "Would you like some tea?"

Beckett thinks for a moment. She's not sure how long Alexis plans on staying up. Does Alexis need someone to talk to? Does she want to talk about it? "Well, how long are you planning on staying up?"

Alexis shrugs. "I don't know. I might have a hard time going back to sleep."

Beckett hesitates. "Do you need someone to talk to? If you need to talk, I'm here."

"Well, I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk about what happened just yet. But, I could use a little distraction?" It came out as a question, because she wasn't sure how Beckett would feel.

"Sure, I understand." Beckett decides she'll stay up and talk to Alexis for a little while. Beckett takes a seat on one of the barstools. "And to answer your question, I would love a cup of tea."

Alexis brings down another mug from the cupboard to make Beckett some tea. "How did you get through your shooting?"

Beckett takes the mug Alexis offers, "thank you." Beckett takes a sip before answering Alexis' question. "Well, I went to therapy."

Alexis walks around the kitchen counter to take a seat on the barstool next to Beckett. "You went to therapy?"

Beckett takes another sip. She wraps her hands around the warm mug and nods her head. "Yes, I went to therapy. I went for a few reasons."

"Do you think it would help if I went to therapy?"

"I think that's up to you Alexis. Therapy may not work for everybody. It helped me, even though I never thought it would. If you think it would help you, it won't hurt to at least try."

Alexis takes a sip of her tea and nods. "That makes sense. What made you decide to go to therapy?"

Beckett gives out a little chuckle. "Well, at first I didn't want to go. But, I had no choice. I had to go for a psych evaluation so I could return to duty. After the therapist had cleared me to return to active duty, I could have stopped seeing him."

"You didn't have to go back to therapy after you were cleared?"

"No, I didn't have to go back. I did what I needed to do to return to work. But, I kept going back to see him anyway."

Alexis is a little confused. "If you passed your evaluation, then why did you keep going to therapy?" Alexis takes another sip of her tea waiting for Beckett's answer.

Beckett sips her tea to think about where to start. "Well, while I was away for the summer recovering at my dad's cabin, I had nightmares. But, they had just started as I was weaning off my pain medication. While I was taking my pain meds, they would knock me out and I would have no trouble sleeping. It's when I stopped taking them, that the nightmares would start and they didn't stop for a while."

"So, you kept going back to therapy to help with the nightmares?" Alexis is trying to get a better understanding of Beckett.

Beckett hesitates on what she's going to say next. She's not sure how Alexis would react or feel. "Well… I actually decided that I did want to get better. Not only did I want the nightmares to go away, but I wanted to get better for me, so I could have the kind of relationship that I wanted. I wanted to get better so I could be with your dad." Beckett pauses, waiting for a reaction from Alexis, but Alexis just remains as calm as can be wanting Beckett to continue. "I knew for a long time that I wanted to be with your dad, but I was afraid to show him how vulnerable I was. Having had nightmares to where I would cry, I was very vulnerable."

This is all new to Alexis. She had no idea that Beckett was going to therapy to get better so she could be with her dad. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." Beckett finishes the rest of her tea.

Alexis takes a sip from her mug before she asks the question. "How long have you known you had feelings for my dad?" Alexis pauses rethinking the question. "Or, rather, when did you know you wanted to be with my dad?"

That puts a smile on Beckett's face, just thinking back to the time she knew. "Well, I can actually answer both of those questions. I realized I had feelings for your dad the summer between our second and third year of working together. The summer he had invited me to go to the Hamptons, but he went with Gina instead. I watched the two of them walk out of the precinct and it hurt." Beckett takes a breath to answer the next question. "I knew for certain that I loved your dad and wanted to be with him when he and I were in L.A. I was still dating Josh at the time. Your dad and I had gone to L.A to do a little investigating on the death of my friend Mike Royce."

Alexis' eyes go wide in shock. She heard something new. "You, you love my dad?"

Beckett lets out a little chuckle and nods. "Yes, I love your dad. I love him very much. I've been in love with him for two years."

There is some anger building up inside Alexis. "You've been in love with my dad for two years? Then why the hell would you push him away and leave him hurting for three months after you were shot?"

Beckett answers in a soothing tone to try and calm Alexis down. "Well, as I mentioned before, I was afraid to show him how vulnerable I was after my shooting. But, I also was afraid of getting hurt again. I had already lost someone I loved and I was afraid of hurting like that again."

Alexis calms down. She has never lost anybody she's loved before and she can't imagine how that must feel. "I'm sorry, Kate. I had no idea."

Beckett gets up off the stool to put her mug into the sink. "It's ok. I don't talk about. It's part of my vulnerability, which I'm getting a little better at showing." Beckett sees that Alexis' mug is empty. "Are you finished with your mug?"

Alexis looks down at her mug sitting on the counter, contemplating whether or not she wants more tea. "Yes, thanks."

Beckett takes the mug from Alexis and places it in the sink to be washed later. It can be taken care of in the morning. "Are you going to head back up to bed?"

"Maybe in a little bit. I think I just need a few more minutes to think about some things."

"Ok." Beckett gives Alexis a little nod and starts walking back toward Castle's bedroom. "Try to get some sleep. Good night."

Alexis gives Beckett a small smile. "Good night, Kate."

Beckett gives Alexis a little rub on the back before continuing on to the bedroom.

Before Beckett gets too far Alexis gets her attention. "Hey, Kate?"

Beckett turns back around to face Alexis. "Yes?"

Alexis seems a little shy. She looks down at the ground before looking back up to make eye contact with Beckett. "Thank you."

Beckett cocks her head a little to the side in confusion. "For what?"

"For being able to talk to me. To help me. To give me a little something to think about." Alexis takes a little pause. "But, also for doing everything you could to help find me."

Beckett gives Alexis a smile, "You're welcome." Beckett takes a little breath. "I know how much you mean to your father and Martha. But, believe it or not… I care about you too. We all do. You are an amazing, smart young woman. Just know that I'm here, whenever you feel like you need to talk."

"Thank you. That means a lot." Alexis gives Beckett a smile and gets up from the stool to head up to her room. "Good night, Kate."

"Good night, Alexis." Beckett turns to go back to bed so she can sleep next to the man she loves and be there in case he needs her.

Beckett is approaching the door to Castle's bedroom and she can hear what sounds like whimpering. She picks up the pace to get into the room faster. She can see Castle is tossing and turning. Before she can reach the bed she can hear him talking in his sleep. "No. Please. Let her go. Take me instead."

Beckett is now practically running over to Castle. "Shh, babe, it's ok. Castle?" She rubs him on the shoulder with one hand while she runs her fingers through his hair with the other.

The feel of Kate's fingers through his hair wakes him up. "Kate?"

"Shh, I'm here babe."

Castle is having a hard time settling his breathing. "Kate?"

Beckett climbs into bed on Castle's side where he already is. The two of them are sharing one side of the bed now. Beckett continues to run her fingers through Castle's hair while holding him close. "Shh, it's ok. You're ok. You're both ok. I'm right here. It's ok, babe. You had a nightmare, but you're ok." Beckett kisses his head.

Castle wraps an arm around Kate's waist to hold her tight, never wanting to let go. His breathing starts to return back to normal. With a few tears running down his face and landing on the shirt Beckett is wearing he whispers, "thank you."

"Always." Beckett lays there with Castle in her arms comforting him until he falls back to sleep. Once she knows Castle has fallen asleep again, she starts to doze off. Before she can fall asleep completely, she hears a noise. Beckett doesn't know what the noise is, or where it's coming from. After she listens for a few minutes, the noise stops and she starts to fall asleep. But, she opens her eyes again when she hears footsteps.

Martha walks into Castle's bedroom as quietly as she can. "Katherine?"

Kate turns her head to look at Martha, who is standing just inside the door. "Martha? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, darling." Martha takes a breath, "but Alexis is asking for you."

 **To be Continued**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful support. Whether it'd be with a review or following this story. It is a nice confidence booster and a great inspiration. I have one more chapter up my sleeve. Stay tuned.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle. Castle will always belong to Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC.

 _ **Chapter 3**_

Beckett is surprised. "Alexis was asking for me?"

"Yes, dear. I went to go check on her after I heard her screaming." Beckett realizes the noise she heard was Alexis. She must have had a nightmare. "When I got to her room I asked her if she was ok. All she said was that she wanted you."

Carefully getting out of bed, so she doesn't wake Castle, "ok Martha. I'll head up there now."

"She had tears in her eyes. She was clearly scared. I went to try and comfort her, but she was asking for you. So, I immediately came down here to find you."

Both Martha and Beckett are walking up the stairs toward Alexis' room. "Did she say why she wanted me?" Beckett asks.

"No, dear."

"Ok, I'll take care of her. Go ahead and go back to sleep."

Martha is worried about her granddaughter. "Are you sure, Katherine?"

Beckett gives Martha a small smile. "Yes, I'm sure. I've got this. Go ahead and get your beauty rest."

"Thank you, darling. You know where to find me if you need anything."

"Good night, Martha."

"Good night, darling."

As soon as Martha enters her room, Beckett continues on down the hall for Alexis' room. The door to Alexis' room is slightly open. Kate knocks on the door gently while peaking her head in. "Alexis?"

Alexis is curled up on her bed with her knees to her chest. She looks over toward the door, "Kate?"

"I'm here." Beckett enters Alexis' room and closes the door behind her and walks over to Alexis' bed. Kate sits on the bed next to Alexis. "What happened?"

Alexis sniffs a little bit from the tears that she had shed while waiting for Beckett. "I managed to fall asleep, but…" Alexis is finding it hard to catch her breath while thinking about what happened.

Beckett reaches around Alexis' shoulders to pull her close. "Oh, it's ok Alexis. You're home and you're safe."

Alexis wraps her arms around Kate's torso and holds on tight. "Kate?"

Beckett is taken aback with the fact that Alexis is holding on to her for dear life. Kate just rubs her hand along Alexis' back to calm her and comfort her. "Yes?"

"Will you lay here with me for a while? Maybe, just until I fall asleep?"

Beckett stops rubbing Alexis' back. She is so surprised that Alexis wants her to stay. The two of them have never been close. Kate thinks that Alexis isn't the biggest fan of hers, especially when it comes to Castle. Whether it was hurting Castle emotionally or putting his life in danger. Kate hopes that this will earn her some brownie points. But, if she's being honest with herself, she really wants to be there for Alexis, no points necessary. She hopes that this will be the start of a close relationship. "Of course. Whatever you need."

Alexis lets go of Kate so she can climb back under the covers. Once Alexis has settled, Kate lays down next to Alexis, on top of the covers. Alexis curls in next to Kate, as if she was a scared little girl. She wraps an arm around Kate's waist and lays her head on her shoulder. Both are silent for a while. Alexis is enjoying the comfort from Kate, which gets her thinking. "Kate?"

"Mhm?" Kate didn't want to say anything more. She was going to let Alexis take the lead.

"Were you recovering from your shooting all by yourself during that summer?"

"No. For most of the summer, yes. My dad was with me for the first 2 weeks. Once I was able to do the basic stuff on my own, I sent him home. After that I was by myself. He did come and visit every once in a while, just to check up on me and to get out of the city."

"Wow. You are a strong woman, Kate. I know that, but to recover from something like that on your own must have been difficult."

"Yeah, it was. But, at the time, it just felt like the right thing to do."

Alexis squeezes Kate a little tighter. "You had nightmares, so you were obviously scared. Was there ever a time when you wished you had your mom there to make it better?" As soon as Alexis asked the question, she immediately regretted it. She knows that Kate misses her mom every day and wishes that her mom was still alive. "You don't have to answer that Kate. I don't know what I was thinking."

Beckett takes a breath. "It's ok. I'll answer it." Beckett has to take a moment to get her emotions under control. "Yes, I wished my mom was there to help me through it. There were times where I felt like a little girl again and I wanted my mom. Any time I got scared or had a nightmare, I would go back and forth on who I wished was there to help me through it. It was always between my mom and your dad." Kate takes a breath before continuing. "I feel, that no matter how old a girl gets, she's always going to want her mom."

Alexis just hums. "I don't know what that's like. My mom was never really around. Yes, I know who my mom is, but she was more like the big sister who always wanted to take me shopping. She was never a mother to me. Dad was both mother and father. I don't know how he did it. I don't think it was easy for him being a single father. Especially, when he was raising a girl."

"Well, I also believe that no matter how old a girl gets, she's always going to need her dad."

"Do you still believe that?" Alexis was wondering, because she knows that the relationship between Kate and Jim was tested when Jim became an alcoholic.

"I do. I still believe that. My dad and I were able to patch things up after he went to rehab. It wasn't easy for me to see him go through what he went through. I practically lost both parents when I was 19." Beckett was getting emotional, so she had to take a moment to get herself together. "You obviously know about my mom. But, I lost a part of my dad too when he turned to the bottle. I could never understand why, because I didn't know what it was like to lose the love of your life. But, since I met and fell in love with your dad, I understand now. I may not have my mom anymore, but I still have my dad. I'm always going to be his little girl."

Alexis releases her hold on Kate a little. "It's been me and dad for as long as I can remember. It's always been the two of us. I'm sorry if I ever made it seem like I hated you. I don't hate you. I've never hated you. I was just being protective of dad. But, I was also jealous. You became an important part of his life. I got jealous that he wanted to spend a lot of his time with you. He's never loved any woman the way that he loves you."

Kate looks at Alexis with furrowed brows. "Oh, Alexis. There is no need to be jealous of me. I know that it's always been you and your father. I would never want to get in the way of that."

Alexis gives Kate a small smile that almost reaches her eyes. "I appreciate that, Kate. But, I've also never seen dad so happy. He's happiest when he's with you. Or, at least that's how I see it. And all I want for him is to be happy. If you make him happy, then I'm happy too."

Kate smiles at Alexis. "Your dad makes me very happy. I don't think I've ever been happier. This is probably the happiest I've been since I was a teenager. Maybe even before that, if ever."

"You've felt like part of this family since before you and dad started dating. I think it's safe to say, we're all happy. Maybe someday you can officially be a part of this family." Alexis wraps an arm around Kate again.

Kate is shocked. Was Alexis actually saying that she wouldn't mind having her as a stepmom? Was she ready to get married? Of course she loves Castle and wants to marry him. But, is she ready to take that next step yet? They've been dating for less than a year. But, at this time all Kate could say is, "I'd like that." She holds Alexis close.

Alexis is getting tired. She is curled up against Kate and manages to say something before falling asleep. "You're the closest thing I've ever had to a mom." Alexis stays quiet for a bit. When Kate thinks Alexis has fallen asleep, Alexis mumbles something. "I love you."

It was a mumble, but did Kate hear Alexis correctly? Did Alexis just say 'I love you' to her? Kate is certainly taken aback. Kate isn't sure how she's supposed to feel about that. Not only is Alexis saying she thinks of Kate as a mother figure, but she said 'I love you' as if it was the most natural thing in the world. The more Kate thinks about it, the more she likes it. It gives Kate butterflies in her stomach, but in a good way. She's happy. She loves this family and this family loves her. She holds Alexis closer to her. Just as Kate falls asleep holding Alexis she says, "I love you too."

About an hour later Alexis has another nightmare. She squeezes Kate really tight before she lets out a scream. The sound of Alexis' scream wakes Kate up instantly. "Ah!"

"Shh, Alexis, it's ok." Kate is speaking in calm hushed tones.

Alexis' heart is pounding and she's trying to catch her breath. "Kate?"

"Shh, it's ok. I'm right here."

Alexis starts to cry. "You were there this time."

Kate looks at Alexis in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"My nightmare. You were there this time."

Alexis has tears running down her face and Kate uses her thumb to wipe some of them away. "Oh, sweetie, it's ok. I'm right here. I'm ok. You're ok. Everybody is fine, Alexis. Shh." Kate holds Alexis tighter. "Do you feel like talking about it?"

"Not really. But, I think I should."

Kate nods. "Ok, I'm ready to listen whenever you're ready to share."

Alexis gets her tears, heart rate, and breathing under control before she starts. "I basically keep having the same nightmare. Except a few things change each time. This time you were in it. You saw me get kidnapped." Alexis takes a small breath before continuing. "You could have been working on a case or something and just happened to be walking down the street when I was kidnapped. Dad wasn't with you. He was at a meeting with his publisher. You saw me because you called out my name. I heard you." Alexis starts to cry again. "But, you couldn't reach me fast enough. You reached the van just as the doors were closing. I saw the look in your eyes and you yelled my name. I was crying out for you to save me. But as I did that, the doors were shut from the inside."

Kate hugs Alexis tighter. She let her cry and tell her what happened in the nightmare. "It's ok. Breathe. I'm right here."

"You were scared. You went running after the van, but you couldn't catch up. You pulled out your phone to call Detective Ryan. You wanted him to go through footage from the security cameras for that area. You also had him run the license plate." Alexis holds on to Kate for dear life. She needed something to hold on to. Something comforting. "The next thing I know, I'm waking up in a cell of some kind."

"This cell, was that what actually happened?" Alexis just nods. "Ok, go on."

"Well, it wasn't really a cell, but it was an empty room. There was nothing in it except a mattress and a bathroom. The door was locked too. There was a smaller door within the bigger door. It slid open and closed from the outside only." Alexis takes a moment to get the crying under control before she continues. "Anyway, in the dream, you managed to locate me in Paris, based on the skype call I had made to dad. You were there with dad in Paris."

"Did he at least let me know that he was going to go?"

"Yes. He wanted you to go with him." Alexis pauses. "Wait, dad didn't tell you he was going to Paris to find me?"

"No. He didn't tell anybody, not even Martha. He had told Martha that he was with me. She went into his desk drawer and saw that his passport was missing."

Alexis just shakes her head. She can't believe her dad just took off getting himself into something dangerous without telling anybody, especially the people he loves and who love him. "Why would dad do that?"

"Alexis, you were/are the most important thing to him in his life. He would do anything to get you back. I can't blame him for that, but it still scared the hell out of Martha and myself." Kate shakes her head to clear her mind. She wants to get rid of that memory. "Anyway, go on."

"You and dad had found the building I was in. Not the one I was first held in before I tried to escape, but the second one. The one where I was being held in a cage." Alexis gets tears in her eyes again, but she powers through. "You told dad to wait in a safe place. He didn't want to listen, but you told him that you couldn't stand the thought of losing both of us."

"I went into the building without him?" Alexis nods. "Without my partner in crime... and in life?"

"Yes. You told him to wait in a safe place, while you went in and saved me. You wanted us to have each other. You didn't want dad to lose his whole world."

Kate nods in acceptance. "What else happened?"

Alexis takes a breath, "You found me. There were guards, so you needed to create a diversion before you could come up to me and get me out. Once the guards walked away to find out what happened you came running up to me. I was surprised and relieved to see you. I was also very happy." Alexis gives Kate a small smile before she goes on. "You told me what the plan was. You told me what route I needed to take to get out of the building safe. You also told me where dad was so I could meet him."

Kate is a little confused. "I sent you out on your own?"

Alexis nods. "Yes. You sent me out on my own, so if anybody was coming after me, you would distract them or take them down." Alexis stops and stares at Kate. She's not sure she wants to continue with what happened in her nightmare. She's not sure how Kate will react or feel. But, she needs to get this off her chest. "I made it out of the building safe. I found dad and gave him the biggest hug I had ever given him. We were in the moment, but the moment was broken when we heard an explosion."

"The building?"

Nodding and letting out a sigh, "yes. The building had exploded. I don't know how it happened or why it happened. In that moment all I could think about was you. I was wondering if you had made it out. Wondering if all three of us would be coming home, hoping we could be a family."

Kate's eyes begin to water. She has mixed emotions right now. She doesn't know how she's supposed to feel in this moment. However, she does want to know how it ends. "So, what happened?"

All Alexis could do was stare at Kate and not say anything. The tears were flowing down her face and Alexis just shook her head. Alexis dropped her head to try and hide the tears from Kate. "You… didn't…"

Tears were rolling down Kate's face. "And that's what caused you to scream?"

Alexis nodded. "I thought I was only screaming in my dream, but I guess I actually did scream." Alexis wipes away her tears and sniffs. "I'm sorry, Kate. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Kate wipes away her own tears before rubbing Alexis' back. "It's ok. You had a bad dream. It's ok to feel that way. Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me about it."

"I guess this nightmare showed me how much you really mean to me. You mean more to me than I had ever realized."

"Well, you know dreams can be about the things we fear or about the things we desire." Kate takes a small pause to make sure she has Alexis' attention. "And in your case, I think your nightmare was a bit of both. Not only were you reliving what had actually happened, but there was a twist to it. You desire having a complete family with both a mother and a father. But, you're afraid of losing that." Kate takes a breath. "You had both a mother and a father when you were really little, but you lost that. You lost that sense of family. It was just you and your dad pretty much your whole life. You want to be part of a complete family again, but you're afraid of losing it."

Alexis pulls Kate in closer and nods. "I can't lose you, Kate." She takes a breath, "I don't want to lose you."

Without thinking Kate kisses Alexis' temple, just like Castle had done earlier in the evening. "I'm not going anywhere sweetie. I'm right here."

Both Kate and Alexis curl up with each other again. Alexis falls asleep with a smile on her face as she's wrapped up in the embrace of Kate. Kate falls asleep soon after Alexis.

 **To be Continued**

Note: _Some of you may be wondering why I kept changing what I was calling Beckett. It was a conscious decision. I felt that as the relationship between Kate and Alexis was growing closer and closer, it was better to call her by her first name. Making Kate more part of the Castle family. Similar to how Martha calls Castle and Kate by their full first names. In my opinion it's Martha's way of saying 'I love you'. It's her version of a term of endearment._


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you to all who have taken the time to read my first, uploaded, multi-chapter story. It has been quite a journey. I have been so used to writing one-shots, but I found that it's really fun to write a multi-chapter story. Especially, with all the feedback and support I have been getting. Sadly, this is the final chapter of this story. It's time to put this story to bed and start a new one. Thank you all. Please enjoy the final chapter of "Thank You Kate".**

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle. Castle will always belong to Andrew W. Marlowe and ABC.

 _ **Chapter 4**_

Castle wakes up with a start. He had had a bad dream. His heart is racing. He reaches over to Kate's side of the bed, but it's empty. All that's there are cold sheets. He looks around the room to see if he can see or hear Kate anywhere. The sun is just coming up. He gets up out of bed in search of Kate. He first looks in his office… empty. Then he walks out into the kitchen… empty. He gets worried that he had imagined Kate staying the night and helping him through his nightmare. He pushes that thought aside and decides to go upstairs to check on Alexis. If he had had a bad dream, he can't imagine what Alexis is going through.

Castle reaches the top of the stairs and heads down the hall towards Alexis' bedroom. The door is closed so he knocks gently and waits for an answer. There is no sound. He slowly opens the door. When he opens the door his heart skips a beat. The sight he sees makes him melt. There on Alexis' bed is Kate fast asleep, holding his daughter close to her. He falls more in love with Kate every day. The sight of Alexis curled into Kate gives Castle a flash forward into the future. Would Kate do the same thing with their own child? Castle just smiles at the thought and decides to let the two girls sleep.

Castle walks back downstairs to his office. On the wall behind his desk is a picture. Behind the picture is a wall safe. He moves the picture so he can unlock the safe. Once the safe has been opened he reaches in and pulls out a small velvet box. He opens the box and looks at the diamond ring that sits in it. He remembers the day he bought it. It was the day after Meredith left, after she had come to visit when Alexis was sick, and Kate was staying with them in the loft while her apartment was being fumigated. He's ready to take the next step. Seeing Kate with Alexis just confirmed that he's ready to propose. He just needs to plan how he's going to propose. He closes the box and puts it back in the safe. Castle knows that he and Kate haven't been dating that long, but he had waited 4 years for her. He'll wait a lifetime for her if she's not ready. She's worth the wait.

Castle goes back into his bedroom to get some clothes to change into. But, first he needs a shower. Once Castle has showered, shaved, and gotten dressed he goes out to the kitchen to make some breakfast. First things first… make the coffee. Once he gets the coffee maker going he gets the ingredients to make a nice breakfast for his household. The smell of coffee summons Kate to the kitchen.

Castle doesn't hear her coming down the stairs. "Hey babe."

Castle looks up from preparing breakfast. "Hey! What are you doing up? You should be sleeping. It seems as though you had a long night last night."

"The smell of coffee woke me up." Kate pauses, "wait, you know?" Kate walks around the kitchen counter to give Castle a good morning kiss.

Castle gives Kate a kiss. "Kate, I found you sleeping on Alexis' bed with her curled into you like a little girl. I figured it out. My partner is, after all, the best detective in the entire state of New York. Plus, when I came in here to make breakfast, there were two mugs sitting in the sink."

"How did you know I would be in Alexis' room?"

"I didn't. I had woken up scared from a bad dream. I tried reaching for you, but you weren't there. I went to search for you, but I couldn't find you. I thought maybe I had imagined it, so, I decided I was going to go check on Alexis. When I looked into her room, that's when my heart skipped a beat. I saw the two of you cuddled together. I knew Alexis was in good hands. So, I let you be."

Kate smiles up at Castle. "Am I still a mystery to you Mr. Castle?"

Castle smiles back. "Indeed you are Ms. Beckett. The best mystery of all."

"I need to keep our relationship interesting Castle. If we were too predictable, we might become boring… and that's dull."

With all seriousness, "Kate. We will never be boring."

Kate gives Castle another kiss then goes around to the other side of the counter to take a seat on a barstool. "So, what are we having for breakfast this morning?"

Grabbing the whisk, "pancakes." He smiles up at Kate while he mixes the batter for the pancakes.

Kate smiles and shakes her head. She remembers the first time he had made her pancakes. It was when he had slept on the couch in her apartment when someone was targeting her. 'Nikki' was spelled out on bullet casings. "Pancakes? Really, babe?"

"Yes. As a thank you."

"A 'thank you' for last night?"

Castle stops mixing the batter to look Kate in the eye. Very seriously he says, "Yes. Thank you for last night." He lets go of the whisk to reach over the counter to grab a hold of Kate's hand. "Thank you for being there for Alexis. I don't know how much comfort I would have been." Castle takes a breath. "Thank you for being there for me too, when I had a bad dream." He gives her a small smile.

Kate returns the smile. "Always." She squeezes the hand that she's still holding. "Is the coffee ready yet?"

Castle lets go of Kate's hand. "Should be. Let me get you some." He turns around to head over to the cabinet to get a mug down for Kate's coffee.

"Castle?"

"Yes?"

"Were you planning on coming to the precinct today? You don't have to if you're not up for it. You can spend the day with Alexis." She pauses. "In fact, I insist you spend the day with your daughter. Both of you have had a rough few days."

Castle finishes making Kate her coffee and hands it to her. "Are you sure?"

Kate takes the coffee from Castle. "I'm positive." Kate stops to think for a minute. "Castle, if you were the one who had gone missing, I wouldn't want to let you out of my sight for at least 24 hours. I think you both need this. I think you need to be with her. You need to know that she's ok and that she's here."

Castle takes out a skillet and places it on the stove. "Yeah. I feel like I need to spend as much time with her as I can. That was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me." Castle takes a slight pause. "Well, other than you getting shot and coding right in front of my eyes. Those two things were the scariest moments of my life. I don't want to go through that again."

"I understand babe. Do what you need to do. I'll be ok without you for a day." Kate takes a sip of her coffee. "I'm not going to lie, I will miss being with you today, but you need to do this."

Castle is slightly taken aback. "What? The confident, smart, independent Detective Beckett admitting she's actually going to miss me?"

Kate senses that Castle is teasing her, but she's being completely serious. She looks down into her cup of coffee before looking back up at Castle. Castle can see how serious she is, so he waits for her to say something. "Castle… you flew halfway across the world without telling myself or your mother where you were. We were both scared out of our minds. We were already worried about Alexis. When Martha saw that your passport was gone we were worrying about you too." Kate has to take a breath. "I can't lose you Castle. I've already lost someone I love and I won't be able to live through that again." Tears start rolling down her cheeks. "I love you, Castle. You are the love of my life and I can't lose you."

Castle walks around the counter to kiss Kate and to give her a warm embrace. "Oh, honey. You won't lose me. I'm right here." He uses his thumbs to wipe the tears from Kate's face. "I love you too." Castle has a thought come to mind. He wants to show Kate that he's not going anywhere. "Wait right here. I have something for you."

Kate wipes at her eyes to get rid of the remaining tears. "What? What about my pancakes?"

"Don't worry honey. The stove isn't on. I'll make your pancakes as soon as I give you your present." Castle is walking through the loft toward his office. He goes behind the picture to unlock the safe. He pulls the velvet box back out and puts it in his pocket. He doesn't need to plan the perfect proposal. This is spontaneous and intimate.

Kate is sipping on her coffee while she waits for Castle to return to the kitchen with, whatever it is he has for her. She hears footsteps coming up from behind her. "Ok, Castle. It's not my birthday. It's not our anniversary. Valentine's Day just passed. Christmas has already passed. What could you possibly be giving me a gift for?"

"What? Can't a guy do something nice for his girlfriend? Something that says 'I love you' and I'm thinking of you?"

Kate caves. "Alright, Castle."

Castle's heart rate picks up as the nerves get to him. This will be the last time he will ever propose. This is his 'third time is a charm'. He's hoping that he is her one and done. "Ok, close your eyes and put out your hands."

Kate looks at him suspiciously. "I don't know Castle."

"Please? Close your eyes and hold out your hands." Kate closes her eyes and puts her hands out. Castle pulls the box out of his pocket and opens it. He gets down on one knee before he places the velvet box in Kate's hands. "Ok, open your eyes."

From the top of the stairs, without making a sound, both Martha and Alexis watch what's happening below in the kitchen.

Kate opens her eyes and sees a diamond ring, in a velvet box, in her hands, while Castle is down on one knee. She doesn't know what to think. She doesn't know how to feel. "Castle?"

"I love you more than words can describe. I know we've only been together less than a year. I waited 4 years for you. You are a very big part of my life. You were there for Alexis last night when she needed someone. After that, I'm sure you're a big part of her life too. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me?"

God she loves this man. He had waited 4 long years for her and she knows he would wait an eternity, if that's how long it took for her to be ready. She loves this man more and more every day. She has a big smile on her face. She knows exactly what her answer is. "Yes, Richard Edgar Alexander Rodgers Castle, I will marry you."

Castle practically jumps up from the floor to take the ring out of the box to place it on Kate's finger. Once the ring is on her finger he gives her a kiss. Once they kiss they hear cheering from the top of the stairs. They pull away from their kiss to look up at the top of the stairs where Martha and Alexis had been watching. He wonders how long they had been standing there.

Alexis is running down the stairs to give both Castle and Kate a hug. "Yay! Congratulations! I'm so happy and excited for you!"

"Congratulations Richard! Congratulations Katherine!" Martha calls out as she descends the stairs. Once she's reached the bottom she goes to embrace both Castle and Kate.

"Thank you", both Castle and Kate answer at the same time.

Martha claps her hands together. "This calls for champagne."

"Mother, it's 7 o'clock in the morning." Castle can't help but love his mother. She'll find any excuse to have a drink.

"Oh, hush darling. We can have mimosas. That's a breakfast drink."

Alexis' stomach growls. "Are we having anything to eat?"

Castle opens his mouth to answer, but Kate beats him to it. "Yes, in fact your father was about to make pancakes, before he decided to propose."

Alexis is so hungry her mouth is watering. "That sounds fantastic. I'm so ready to eat. I haven't eaten in"… she stops to think about how long it's been since she last ate something. "I actually have no idea how long it's been since I last ate."

Castle is putting pancake batter on the skillet. "Don't worry pumpkin. I'll take care of that no problem. Smiley face pancakes for you?"

"Sure daddy, that sounds great."

Castle stops what he's doing to stare at her. Daddy? She hasn't called him that in ages. This experience has really taken a toll on her. But, at least his little girl is back home and she's safe.

While Castle continues making the pancakes the ladies in the Castle household set the table. Alexis and Kate take care of the plates and silverware. Martha takes care of the glasses for their coffee and mimosas. Once the table has been set the ladies sit down at the table. Shortly after they have taken a seat, Castle comes over to the table with a plate full of pancakes. After he sets the plate down he goes back to the kitchen to make sure he turned the stove off. When he returns to the table he takes a seat and they serve up their plates for breakfast. Castle places a smiley face pancake on Alexis' plate.

Alexis looks at the smiley face pancake then looks up to look around the table. She looks around at the people she loves. She's alive. She's home and she's safe with her family. Her grandmother, her father, and her future mom. Mom. She likes the sound of that. Kate won't be just a step-mom, she'll be a mom. Her mom. And she'll be a great one. She proved that last night. The Castle family is now complete. _Thank you Kate_.

 **The End**

 _Note: I had this story completely written before I uploaded the previous chapter and before I had read any of your wonderful reviews. Thank you for all the wonderful feedback. I was nervous for this story, but it means a lot to me that you enjoyed it. I'll get started on a new story soon. Stay tuned._


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